Guilt
by lawizeg
Summary: Yasuo kills Yone. Oneshot.


Somewhere in the forests of Ionia, Yasuo heaved a long sigh. While he'd hoped to get to the next town by nightfall it seemed the map that had remained at the bottom of his bag from his days at the village wasn't as accurate as he'd thought. The typical small, quaint Ionian village that he'd anticipated being quite close was actually a few more miles out. Not entirely willing to sleep outside _again_, the fūtonmaster watched as his exhaled breath faded away, first gathering into frosty plumes and then dispersing gradually. It was almost time for winter. Staying out would be doable, but not the most comfortable.

Unfortunate.

Minutes passed as Yasuo moved to clear space and gather kindling for a small fire to heat some rations. It was these moments that gave him peace, yet brought a measure of pain. Being occupied was nice, nicer than overthinking all day. He knew any peace he felt in this situation was a fabrication at best; yet he found he'd accept it all the same. Yasuo observed the greying sky for a moment, felt the breeze stream through his long hair and flow softly against his face, and decided he would make camp for the night. Travelling at night without much of a road was too much of a hassle–and a danger–to bother. Most villages that weren't near to his former home had no idea that he was a wanted criminal; after the initial uproar it was single assassins that came chasing after him, seeking retribution.

But they were weak.

Weak as they were, it gave him no joy to cut down his former comrades. Yasuo could only be grateful that none of his close friends had been ordered to hunt him, only fellow swordsmen from his village. Nevertheless, striking his own countrymen down cut deeply at his heart.

Yasuo paused. He could not move on if this was all he thought of. _Balance your mind, balance your life._ He shook his head, done with the haunting topic for the moment and made to shake his bedroll out.

Yasuo's ears picked up a rustling beyond the linen quivering in the air and his survival instincts took over. Quickly he scanned what he could see of the surrounding area–it was dusk now–and felt for his blade.

A break. A pause. A breeze came swirling by, ever empowering Yasuo; always by his side.

Then, the initially imperceptible noise picked up, came closer, and finally Yasuo could pinpoint its exact location...there! In the blink of an eye, a swift column of wind was hurtling toward his predator. _Got 'em_, thought Yasuo as he heard the impact of body against tree trunk and quickly moved to apprehend another assailant. _Strange they're coming so close together this time..Something's not right here._ The groan that escaped the man's mouth made Yasuo's blood run cold like the night.

He could not see the man's face but he knew it was Yone.

His brother.

_No._

"I see your skills are as sharp as ever, Yasuo."

Yasuo heard him but did not respond to the quip as all he could think was how wrong, wrong, wrong this was. To send his own family after him..to kill or be killed, by his own blood. Yasuo's brow lowered as he frowned deeply at the unspoken bind he was in.

"Yasuo."

The prodigy swordsman was enraged by his brothers seemingly calm response. He fired back, "No, Yone! I know why you're here. I will not fight you!"

"I have orders, brother. I cannot fight an unarmed man." They both knew what needed to happen, now that Yone had found him.

"Then don't. I am innocent!" Somehow the words did not ring true, even to Yasuo.

"Whether it was your blade or another's, Yasuo, you are responsible!" The silence that followed was lacerated by the sharp ringing of Yone drawing his weapon.

He'd always favored a shorter katana.

"I will hunt the true assassin, The murderer who started all of this! My name can be clear!" Yone was silent.

"I know I've failed. But...will you really kill your brother? On orders?" Yasuo drew his blade as well. Yone finally responded, looking his brother dead in the eye and said, "_My blood before the Blood of Ionia. My family before the Family of Ionia._"

An order given is an order taken.

In the beats that followed, Yasuo felt cold. Cold to the bone. He hated everything about this. His heart did not agree with what his mind knew–the Ionian Way. Immediately, he thought of the Ionian deviants he had always been warned against..The Dark Sovereign, The Master of Shadows...was he like them now? A traitor?

"You can just come with me, brother." Drawn out of his thoughts, he looked into Yone's eyes again. Both of them knew that would not happen.

Neither of them wanted this.

But he would not come.

More silence passed and Yone looked down and tightly clenched his weapon. "Why..?" He knew that internally, Yone had struggled with this. Yasuo looked away, at anything but the cool moonlight highlighting his brother's pain.

Then, Yone moved into stance. "Then I must do as I was told..You are guilty and not compliant, Fūtonmaster Yasuo Kíyonu. I must strike you down."

As quick as Yone was, Yasuo had always been faster. The wind could move like no other. With a flourish and sweep of his blade, Yasuo cut through the weak spot in his brother's stance as he advanced upon him.

Even as a stab of worry and regret cut into Yasuo's heart he felt cold. The hot blood on his sword was steaming slightly in contrast to the now frigid night; its flow onto the ground as he dropped it was sluggish as it gradually cooled. His tears, however, fell fast, unencumbered by the temperature.

The wound was too great. Yone would die. Already he could see his brother fading, likely a failure of both his body and his heart.

"Yas.." Yasuo opened his eyes and quickly blinked his vision clear. He could feel his frown deepen as he watched his brother's last breaths fade frostily into the night. Worst of all, he felt his brother's head loll to the side and his heart wrench painfully, still unable to answer Yone's final words.

"Why?"

* * *

Image and Characters owned by Riot Games.


End file.
